Thermostat problems
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
From: Suffolk Viginia
Thermostat problems
What temperature would you expect to run with a 170 deg. thermostat?
I am running warmer with a 170 deg. thermostat than I was with the 180 deg. thermostat I took out. I followed the GM procedure for bleeding air but my highway cruising temperature went up instead of down. My fans are set to come on at 195 deg. and my highway temperature is up to 203 deg., before it was hanging right at 196 deg. I was trying to keep my fans from running all of the time.
Any suggestions?
I am running warmer with a 170 deg. thermostat than I was with the 180 deg. thermostat I took out. I followed the GM procedure for bleeding air but my highway cruising temperature went up instead of down. My fans are set to come on at 195 deg. and my highway temperature is up to 203 deg., before it was hanging right at 196 deg. I was trying to keep my fans from running all of the time.
Any suggestions?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,488
Likes: 4
From: USA
190-200 degrees is the sweet spot so not sure why you would want to run cooler than the 196 degrees you were getting with the stock 190 thermostat.
By your thread, you make it sound like your fans were coming on while you were on the freeway and reading 196 degrees. The wind would actually be keeping the fans from coming on since they won't kick on until 130 degrees or so depending on the year of your Vette.
Now that you have the fans set at coming on at 196 degrees, that is awfully low for an LS1 engine and now your fans are coming on all the time, which is what you said you didn't want to do.
If you want to run your engine cooler than 190-200 degrees, best way is to get a bigger radiator with your 170 degree thermostat.
By your thread, you make it sound like your fans were coming on while you were on the freeway and reading 196 degrees. The wind would actually be keeping the fans from coming on since they won't kick on until 130 degrees or so depending on the year of your Vette.
Now that you have the fans set at coming on at 196 degrees, that is awfully low for an LS1 engine and now your fans are coming on all the time, which is what you said you didn't want to do.
If you want to run your engine cooler than 190-200 degrees, best way is to get a bigger radiator with your 170 degree thermostat.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,707
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles
190-200 degrees is the sweet spot so not sure why you would want to run cooler than the 196 degrees you were getting with the stock 190 thermostat.
By your thread, you make it sound like your fans were coming on while you were on the freeway and reading 196 degrees. The wind would actually be keeping the fans from coming on since they won't kick on until 130 degrees or so depending on the year of your Vette.
Now that you have the fans set at coming on at 196 degrees, that is awfully low for an LS1 engine and now your fans are coming on all the time, which is what you said you didn't want to do.
If you want to run your engine cooler than 190-200 degrees, best way is to get a bigger radiator with your 170 degree thermostat.
By your thread, you make it sound like your fans were coming on while you were on the freeway and reading 196 degrees. The wind would actually be keeping the fans from coming on since they won't kick on until 130 degrees or so depending on the year of your Vette.
Now that you have the fans set at coming on at 196 degrees, that is awfully low for an LS1 engine and now your fans are coming on all the time, which is what you said you didn't want to do.
If you want to run your engine cooler than 190-200 degrees, best way is to get a bigger radiator with your 170 degree thermostat.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,820
Likes: 347
From: Albuquerque NM
If your temps went up and you made no other changes, then that thermostat probably isn't working right. I have seen some vendors modify GM stats to make them open at lower temps and screw them up. Maybe yours isn't opening fully or not at the right temp. Test them in a pot of water as it heats they should open. Remember, a 180 thermostat just starts to open at 180 and the vehicle will usually run above that point. The Hypertech thermostats seem to be reliable and open when advertised. I run their 160 thermostat and my highway speed temps hover around 175 when it's cold, 180 in the summer. Just right.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 7,215
Likes: 1
From: Orlando FL
something doesnt make sense. I have put lower temp stats in several cars and reset fans and the cars run 180 on highway and about 196 in traffic. I would look at the stat being bad if the fans are really set correctly. my .02
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,488
Likes: 4
From: USA
